Abigail Klein Leichman
April 27, 2020

“Thank you for inviting me to come and visit you – safely. How are you celebrating Yom Haatzmaut?” Israeli President Reuven Rivlin will ask when you connect to a unique hologram to celebrate Israel’s 72nd Independence Day, April 29.

The virtual visit comes courtesy of an innovative Israeli development that brings a hologram of Rivlin to mobile devices.

The ability to see the president in augmented reality (AR) — without the need for downloading an app — was developed by Tetavi and Nimrod Shapiro using unique artificial intelligence, hardware and software.

The size of the president’s hologram can be changed on the screen using two fingers.

Speaking in Hebrew, Rivlin tells viewers: “I remember the first Yom Haatzmaut, the day that Israel’s flag was first raised to the top of the flagpole. We felt like we were witnessing a miracle. And here we are today, 72 years later and I am together with you.”

After wishing you “Yom Atzmaut Sameach” (Happy Independence Day), Rivlin invites you to take a picture of yourself with him to share on social media or in an email as a memento of the virtual visit. You can put yourself next to the president and snap a selfie or ask someone else to take the picture.

To experience the AR presidential greeting, you need a smartphone that is no older than an iPhone 7, Samsung S8 or A50, or LG G5. Connection using Chrome is recommended for Android devices, and Safari for iOS users. The room should be well lit, and a Wi-Fi connection is recommended.
Here is a clip of Rivlin recording his message, with English subtitles.

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